31/08/09
News: The Flood and Water Management Bill slated for the Queen's Speech in November is expected to focus on the most pressing problems – with one glaring exception.
Over the summer Defra officials will be taking into account reactions to their draft Bill, including a detailed consultation response from Water UK on behalf of the industry.
Eagerly anticipated are proposals to improve flood management and wider scope for water companies to take steps to deal with drought. Less certain is the inclusion of measures needed to help combat the serious and accelerating problem of water debt.
The interim report of Anna Walker's independent review highlights the severity of this problem and advocates a 'hierarchy of liability', a requirement for water companies to be given information about who should be paying the bill.
With a general election looming, it makes sense for the government to prioritise its efforts and focus on the main proposals in the draft Bill: clearer and simpler arrangements for flood management, encouragement of sustainable drainage and wider powers to restrict non-essential domestic uses during droughts.
But a Flood and Water Management Bill would be an excellent vehicle to introduce measures to combat debt, and it would be a shame to waste this opportunity.
Contact: Dawn Waterman
Published in The View from Water UK, August 2009
